Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Sebanyak 68 orang warga negara Indonesia (WNI) yang bekerja sebagai anak buah kapal Diamond Princess segera diterbangkan pulang ke Tanah Air. Begitu mendarat di Bandara Kertajati Majalengka, Jawa Barat, mereka langsung diobservasi selama 28 hari di Pulau Sebaru Kecil.
"Para WNI ABK Diamond Princess rencananya akan dibawa pulang pada Minggu 1 Maret 2020 pukul 18.00 waktu setempat dan tiba di tanah air sekitar pukul 23.30 WIB," tulis Sesditjen Pencegahan dan Pengendalian Penyakit Kemenkes RI dr Achmad Yurianto, kepada wartawan, Minggu (1/3/2020).
Sebanyak 68 WNI yang negatif virus Corona tersebut rencananya akan mendarat di Bandara Kertajati Majalengka, Jawa Barat. Kemudian, mereka akan menempuh jalur darat menuju pelabuhan di Indramayu menuju Pulau Sebaru Kecil di Kepulauan Seribu menggunakan KRI Soeharso.
"Rencananya demikian, tapi masih kami koordinasi lagi," singkat dia.
Tim Liputan6.com juga mengonfirmasi kepada Hendy, narahubung penjemputan 68 WNI dari Kementerian Kesehatan. Menurut dia saat ini opsi pelayaran dari Indramayu adalah yang paling memungkinkan. Namun pihaknya mengatakan masih berkordinasi lagi untuk benar memastikan.
"Iya sementara Indramayu tapi kita masih koordinasi lagi, karena kan mendaratnya nanti dijadwalkan tengah malam, masih ada opsi lain. Tapi terkait opsi lain itu belum bisa kami ungkap dulu, masih kordinasi" kata dia saat dihubungi Liputan6com.
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Kesehatan Akan Dicek Lagi
23 anggota tim evakuasi Diamond Princess, di Gedung VIP Terminal 1, Bandara Internasional Soekarno Hatta, Jumat (28/2/2020). (Liputan6.com/Pramita Tristiawati)
Penjemputan di Jepang saat ini menggunakan maskapai Garuda Indonesia Airbus 330. Nantinya sebelum diterbangkan ke Indonesia, 68 WNI akan kembali diperiksa sebelum naik ke pesawat.
Proses pengecekan kembali ini guna benar memastikan kesehatan mereka dalam keadaan negatif terpapar Virs Corona atau Covid19.
Sementara itu, Bandara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB) Kertajati Kabupaten Majalengka, menyiapkan fasilitas khusus terkait rencana kepulangan WNI ABK Diamond Princess yang akan diobservasi di Pulau Sebaru, Kepulauan Seribu.
Direktur Utama PT Bandarudara Internasional Jawa Barat (PT BIJB) Salahudin Rafi mengatakan, proses penerbangan WNI ABK Diamond Princess dari Yokohama, Jepang ke Bandara Kertajati seluruhnya di bawah pengendalian dan koordinasi Kementerian Kesehatan.
"Betul, seluruh kegiatannya langsung di bawah Kementerian Kesehatan, Bandara KJT (Kertajati) telah menyiapkan fasilitas terkait penerbangan," kata Salahudin seperti dikutip dari Antara, Minggu (1/3/2020).
Salahudin Rafi mengaku, pihaknya hingga saat ini belum mendapat kepastian pukul berapa pesawat dari Jepang akan mendarat di Kertajati.
"Kami baru dikabari jika pesawat kemungkinan mendarat malam nanti. Belum ter-update infonya, rencana malam ini," katanya.
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Menteri Luar Negeri Retno Marsudi menyatakan ada 3 WNI yang terinfeksi virus corona di kapal pesiar Diamond Princess. Kondisi ketiganya dalam keadaan stabil.
CU Boulder recently hosted both the Diversity and Inclusion Summit, and the Inclusive Sports Summit. See photos from the events, which addressed how we go from talking to modeling behaviors and practices, as well as identity, privilege, inclusion and diversity in sports.
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Police were at a Las Cruces church on Saturday morning that was described as a crime scene, but authorities were being fairly tight-lipped on their investigation.
New Mexico State Police said a Las Cruces "officer-involved incident" took place near the Las Cruces Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, but they declined to provide further details.
Las Cruces police and NMSP officers converged on the church after the incident and a stretch of 3 Crosses Avenue, near North Alameda, was blocked off.
An ABC-7 crew at the scene observed black fences blocking the entrance of the church. Yellow crime scene tape could also be seen.
A Dona Ana County task force was leading the probe into what happened, an NMSP spokesman said.
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A 33-year-old Palatka man was arrested after a pedestrian was struck by a van and killed in Flagler County, according to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers said the van was traveling along State Road 100 near County Road 302, when the van veered off the shoulder and collided with the pedestrian, a 29-year-old Orlando man.
According to FHP, the driver continued west on State Road 100, and was later stopped by deputies. Troopers identified him as Joshua Carver.
Carver was charged with leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
The pedestrian was not indentified.
Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
"Kita beda alatnya, kalau alat kita sudah 2 tahun tidak operasi dan April ini mau ditarik, yang diatas sana, beda alat dan pekerjanya, tapi masih PT DKS, alat dan pekerja berbeda dengan kami, mereka sedang memasang pipa, men-design baru" jelas para pekerja, pada Kamis (27/2/2020) kemarin.
Pemerintah Kabupaten Dompu, Nusa Tenggara Barat menghibahkan Barang Milik Pemerintah Daerah berupa tanah untuk pembangunan Pelabuhan Nusantara penghubung tol laut. Tanah seluas 30 hektare tersebut berada di di Desa Mbuju, Kecamatan Kilo, Dompu, Nusa Tenggara Barat.
Perjanjian Penetapan Hibah ditandatangani langsung oleh Bupati Dompu Bambang M. Yasin dengan Sekretaris Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Laut Arif Toha di Ruang Sriwijaya Kantor Kementerian Perhubungan.
Sekretaris Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Laut Arif Toha mengatakan, pihaknya menyambut baik adanya kerja sama ini karena menjadi awal yang baik untuk bersinergi mewujudkan pembangunan di daerah Kabupaten Dompu sesuai dengan perkembangan dan perencanaan.
"Hal ini menjadi satu bukti sinergitas antara pemerintah pusat dan pemerintah daerah dalam rangka menyukseskan program konektivitas nasional dan juga dukungan pemerintah pusat pada pertumbuhan ekonomi di daerah," ujar Arif dalam keterangannya, Kamis (27/2/2020).
Menurut Arif, pelabuhan adalah suatu simbol yang bisa menggerakkan perekonomian di daerah di mana civitas perdagangan dan distribusi hasil pertanian maupun hasil industri di suatu daerah bisa terdistribusi ke seluruh wilayah nusantara.
Sebelum suatu pelabuhan dibangun, terdapat beberapa tahap yang harus dilalui mulai dari studi kelayakan teknis, ekonomi, finansial maupun lingkungan serta membuat rencana induk pelabuhan.
"Untuk di Dompu sendiri, sudah ada rencana yang sangat bagus yang nantinya akan ada produksi jagung sekitar 5 juta ton di seluruh Pulau Sumbawa dan ini merupakan potensi yang sangat bagus," ujarnya.
Lebih lanjut Arif menambahkan, pembangunan pelabuhan nantinya akan dilakukan bertahap sesuai dengan denah yang tersedia di sana karena pemerintah pusat juga mempunyai keterbatasan dalam penyediaan anggaran. Oleh karenanya, harus ditetapkan rencana jangka pendek, jangka menengah, dan jangka panjang sesuai dengan tren permintaan dengan supply barang yang ada.
"Kita tidak ingin kapal yang datang ke pelabuhan membawa barang tapi pulangnya kosong atau tidak ada muatan balik. Untuk itu, perlu dukungan dari pemerintah daerah untuk menggerakkan hasil-hasil yang ada di sana dan kami siap support untuk itu," kata Arif.
Sementara itu, Bupati Dompu Bambang M. Yasin mengungkapkan, pembangunan Pelabuhan Nusantara adalah salah satu mimpi masyarakat Dompu setelah beberapa tahun menunggu. Hari ini menjadi awal yang baik untuk mengurus proses persiapan pembangunan Pelabuhan Nusantara di Kecamatan Kilo tersebut.
"Sejak tahun 2010, kami memulai gerakan menanam jagung yang menjadi salah satu komoditas dari program unggulan daerah Kabupaten Dompu, yaitu PIJAR atau Sapi, Jagung, Rumput Laut. Selama 10 tahun terakhir ini, Kabupaten Dompu mampu menghasilkan jagung minimal 800 ribu ton per tahun dan diperkirakan tahun ini, jagung di Pulau Sumbawa akan mendekati angka 5 juta ton," jelas Bambang.
Pihaknya berharap dengan dibangunnya Pelabuhan Nusantara ini bisa memberi manfaat besar bagi masyarakat petani dengan menghemat ongkos angkut darat.
"Kami membayangkan semua jagung yang ada di Dompu, Bima, Sumbawa itu ke depannya diangkutnya hanya satu arah ke Pelabuhan Nusantara Kilo. Jadi di sana akan dibangun juga sarana dan prasarana untuk mengelola jagung ini, apakah itu penyimpanan, pengolahan lanjutan dan sebagainya," urai Bambang.
"Saya berharap Indonesia punya tempat penyimpanan jagung yang untuk stock nasional seperti di Pelabuhan Kilo ini dan ke depan pelabuhan ini juga akan menjadi pelabuhan untuk kapal-kapal penumpang sehingga jarak secara rotasi ke timur dan ke baratnya menjadi seimbang antara Bima, Sumbawa, dan Sumbawa Barat," pungkasnya.
Simak Video "Perhatian! Pelabuhan Bajoe Ditutup Sementara Hingga Cuaca Stabil" [Gambas:Video 20detik] (akn/ara)
FAJAR.CO.ID, BARRU — Gubernur Sulawesi Selatan, HM Nurdin Abdullah, dan Bupati Barru, Suardi Saleh, mendampingi Menteri Perhubungan RI, Budi Karya Sumadi untuk meninjau pembangunan pembangunan Pelabuhan Garongkong di Kabupaten Barru, Sabtu, 29 Februari 2020.
Hadir juga Kejaksaan Tinggi Sulsel Firdaus Dewilmar, Dirjen Perkeretaapian Zulfikri, dan Kepala Kantor Unit Penyelenggara Pelabuhan Kelas II Garongkong Tarudy Manalu.
Pelabuhan dirancang untuk menjadi Kawasan Ekonomi Khusus (KEK) di Sulawesi Selatan sebagai penyangga ibu kota negara (IKN) baru yang akan berpindah dari Jakarta ke Kalimantan Timur.
Suardi Saleh menyatakan apresiasinya, kabupaten yang dipimpinnya, kawasan pelabuhannya akan dijadikan KEK.
“Ini sejalan dengan perencanaan kita. Karena di kawasan Pelabuhan Garongkong ini Perda kita sudah ditetapkan menjadi Kawasan Ekonomi Khusus,” paparnya.
Sementara itu, Nurdin Abdullah menyebutkan, pelabuhan ini, akan menjadi salah satu penyangga ibu kota baru tersebut, memperkuat posisi Sulsel yang selama ini sebagai penyangga kebutuhan Kaltim, seperti pangan. Sulsel terus mempermantap diri dan berbenah menjadi daerah penyangga menjadi rantai pemasok mendukung pembangunan di ibu kota baru negara.
“Oleh karena itu, kita hadir di sini dalam rangka, kita memperkuat pengembangan Pelabuhan Garongkong ini. Jadi saya yakin dan percaya, kalau kita bersinergi insyaallah kita akan mendukung program ini akan lebih cepat lagi,” ucapnya.
Untuk mendukung pembentukan KEK, Menhub menyarankan agar kerjasama pengelolaan Pelabuhan Garongkong, Barru dipegang oleh BUMN (Pelindo IV), BUMD, dan pihak swasta.
“Saya sarankan, boleh mayoritas (BUMN), tetapi harus mengajak swasta, baik dalam negeri atau luar negeri,” jelasnya.
Pembangunan KEK ini juga didukung dengan pembangunan infrastruktur jalur kereta api Trans Sulawesi (Makassar – Parepare). (rls)
Plt Kepala BPKS, Razuardi Ibrahim, dalam dengar pendapat dengan Komisi VI DPR RI di Hermes Hotel, Banda Aceh, Sabtu (29/2/2020). (Foto/Ist)
Banda Aceh (Waspada Aceh) – Badan Pengusahaan Kawasan Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang (BPKS) diminta untuk fokus dan serius membenahi sektor pelabuhan agar status Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang yang telah ditetapkan Pemerintah Indonesia sejak tahun 2000, dapat berjalan sebagaimana mestinya.
Sabang pada tahun 2000 telah ditetapkan sebagai Kawasan Perdagangan Bebas dan Pelabuhan Bebas (free trade zone-FTZ) melalui pemberlakuan Undang-Undang Nomor 37 Tahun 2000 tentang Kawasan Perdagangan Bebas dan Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang, namun kenyataannya hingga kini masih belum terlaksana sebagaimana seharusnya sebuah pelabuhan bebas.
Mohamad Hekal, Ketua Tim Komisi VI DPR RI dalam rapat dengar pendapat dengan BPKS di ruang pertemuan di Hermes Hotel, Sabtu (29/2/2020), mengatakan, dengan berjalannya Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang maka taraf ekonomi masyarakat Sabang, khususnya dan masyarakat Aceh pada umunya, dapat ditingkatkan hingga dapat mengurangi kemiskinan di Aceh.
“Sudah saatnya BPKS lebih fokus dan membuat program kerja yang terarah, terukur serta memiliki input atau income yang jelas. Salah satu peluangnya adalah dengan menghidupkan Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang. Kita akan fokus membantu BPKS untuk mewujudkannya,” tandas Mohamad Hekal.
Bahkan dia mengusulkan dalam waktu dekat Komisi VI DPR RI akan kembali ke Aceh dan langsung ke Sabang dengan membawa instansi terkait agar kendala serta peluang investasi dapat berjalan selama masa kerja lima tahun ini.
“Kita akan terus mendorong pemerintah pusat beserta stakeholder terkait untuk bersama mewujudkan Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang sebagai salah satu sarana mendongkrak ekonomi rakyat,” tambahnya.
Hal senada juga di sampaikan Rafli, salah seorang anggota Komisi VI DPR RI yang merupakan putra Aceh. Bahkan Rafli menyebutkan, sejak tahun 2000 dengan kondisi daerah yang tidak kondusif serta musibah tsunami pada tahun 2004 silam, membuat BPKS juga mengalami dampaknya.
BPKS sedikit demi sedikit kembali membenahi sumberdaya yang ada serta membuat kembali program pembangunan infrastruktur pelabuhan, yang hingga saat ini memang masih membutuhkan pembenahan hingga layak sebagai salah satu Pelabuhan Internasional dalam Kawasan Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang.
“Masih banyak yang harus dibenahi. Selain program kerja dan perencanaan yang jelas dan fokus, membangun hubungan kerja dengan para stakeholder terkait juga menjadi penting agar dapat bersama mewujudkan Pelabuhan Bebas Sabang yang layak dan dapat dinikmati oleh masyarakat Aceh,” kata Rafli.
Selain Mohamad Hekal dan Rafli, kunjungan kerja masa Reses Komisi IV DPR RI di Aceh selama dua hari tersebut juga turut dihadiri Tommy Kurniawan, Sondang Tiar dan Trifena beserta sejumlah anggota Komisi VI lainnya.
Sementara itu, Plt Kepala BPKS, Razuardi, dalam persentasi singkatnya menjelaskan saat ini selain sedang fokus pada sektor pembangunan pelabuhan Penyeberangan Internaional di Balohan Kecamatan Sukajaya Kota Sabang, BPKS juga telah mengusulkan program pembangunan jembatan penghubung antara Pulau Nasi dengan Pulau Beras.
Lokasi jembatan ini, kata Razuardi, di Kecamatan Pulo Aceh, Kabupaten Aceh Besar, dengan panjang jembatan kurang lebih 400 meter. Tujuan pembangunan jembatan ini agar kedua pulau tersebut dapat terhubung dan secara otomatis akan meningkatkan hubungan bisnis kedua pulau itu. Baik untuk sektor pariwisata, perikanan maupun pertanian dan perkebunan.
Menurutnya, sejak tahun 2000, BPKS telah melakukan banyak program pembangunan dan telah direalisasikan hingga roda perekonomian rakyat juga sudah bergerak sedikit demi sedikit. Pada tahun 2020 ini BPKS berharap program pembangunan jembatan penghubung antara kedua pulau tersebut juga dapat direalisasikan.
“Kita juga berharap dukungan Komisi VI DPR RI untuk membantu BPKS mewujudkan pembangunan tersebut mengingat manfaat yang akan dirasakan oleh masyarakat Pulo Aceh nantinya akan sangat besar dirasakan,” tukas Razuardi didampingi Plt Waka BPKS, Islamuddin.
Selain Plt Kepala dan Plt Waka BPKS, dalam rapat dengar pendapat dengan anggota Komii VI DPR RI tersebut turut dihadiri Deputi Umum, Muslim Daud, Deputi SPI Abdulmanan, Kepala Perwakilan BPKS Banda Aceh, Lukman Ag, Kasubbid Antar Lembaga beserta staf, Kabag Humas BPKS, M.Rizal dan staf ahli Deputi Umum, Fauzi Daud, serta Kuasa Pengguna Aggaran. (Ria)
Tekan Resiko Angkut Logistik Jawa-Bali Lewat Jalur Darat
29 Feb 2020 07:18:34150
NusaBali.com - Gubernur Bali Wayan Koster saat Nota Kesepahaman Pemberian Insentif Jasa Kepelabuhan Produk Ekspor, di Pelabuhan Benoa, Jumat (28/2) pagi. .-TIAN
Pemprov Bali akan mengoptimalkan pengangkutan logistik melalui jalur laut dari Surabaya, Jawa Timur menuju Pelabuhan Benoa, Denpasar Selatan.
MANGUPURA, NusaBali
Tujuannya, untuk meminimalkan pengangkutan barang melalui jalur darat menggunakan kendaraan berat, yang memiliki risiko dan timbulkan kemacetan serta kerusakan infrastruktur jalan di jalur Denpasar-Gilimanuk.
Hal ini disampaikan Gubernur Bali Wayan Koster saat acara Penandatanganan Nota Kesepahaman Pemberian Insentif Jasa Kepelabuhan Produk Ekspor, di Pelabuhan Benoa, Denpasar Selatan, Jumat (28/2) pagi. Dalam sambutannya, Gubernur Koster menyebutkan transportasi yang digunakan selama ini lebih banyak melalui darat, terutama yang berkaitan dengan pengangkutan logistik dari Jawa menuju Bali.
Menurut Koster, kendaraan berat yang melintas di jalur Denpasar Gilimanuk menimbulkan berbagai masalah, seperti kemacetan arus lalulintas dan kecelakaan. Sangat sering terjadi musibah truk nyungkling lantaran tak kuat nanjak dan kelebihan beban. Ini jelas mengganggu aktivitas masyarakat sekitar.
Risiko lainnya, kata Koster, infrastruktur jalan di jalur Denpasar-Gilimanuk juga cepat rusak. "Jalan cepat rusak, karena truk-truk besar yang mengangkut logistik itu. Selain itu, ada pula risiko kecelakaan lalulintas, karena kontur jalan yang ekstrem. Jadi, pengiriman logistik melalui jalur darat ini memiliki banyak risiko. Makanya, kita optimalkan jalur laut yang bermuara di Pelabuhan Benoa ini," terang Koster dalam acara yang dihadiri pula Direktur Operasi dan Komersial PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III, Putut Sri Mulidjanto tersebut.
Koster mengakui inovasi kebijakan mengoptimalkan Pelabuhan Benoa sebagai transportasi laut ini menjadi satu pilihan yang sangat tepat. Dengan diberlakukannya akses melalui Pelabuhan Benoa ini, akan mengurangi risiko kemacetan, risiko kecelakaan, dan kerusakan jalan di jalur Denpasar-Gilimanuk. Dan, yang tak kalah pentingnya adalah lebih efisien dalam pembiayaan.
"Menurut saya, segi kenyamanannya akan lebih terjaga dengan baik jika melalui jalur laut. Kapal yang besar-besar untuk mengangkut logistik sudah ada melayani rute Surabaya (Pelabuhan Peti Kemas)-Denpasar (Pelabuhan Benoa). Dalam waktu sehari saja, kapal sudah sampai. Estimasi waktunya sama dengan jalur darat," tandas Gubernur asal Desa Sembiran, Kecamatan Tejakula, Buleleng yang juga menjabat Ketua DPD PDIP Bali ini.
Selain menekan risiko di darat, kata Koster, pemanfaatan Pelabuhan Benoa sebagai jalur atau akses pengiriman logistik dari Jawa juga bisa memberikan dampak bagi Bali ke depan, terutama untuk kebutuhan ekspor produk dari Bali. “Fungsi Pelabuhan Benoa ini harus secara sadar kita rancang dengan baik. Ini juga bagian dari membangun infrastruktur darat, laut, dan udara yang terintegrasi sesuai visi ‘Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali’ melalui Program Pembangunan Semesta Berencana Menuju Bali Era Baru,” papar Koster.
Sementara itu, Direktur Operasi dan Komersial PT Pelindo III, Putut Sri Mulidjanto, menyatakan pihaknya memberikan insentif 31 persen bagi jasa pengangkutan produk ekspor bongkar muat melalui Pelabuhan Benoa dan Pelabuhan Petikemas Surabaya sebesar 31 persen. "Insentif 31 persen bagi usaha pengiriman jasa produksi ekspor tersebut dalam upaya meningkatkan nilai ekspor itu," kata Putut Sri.
Putut Sri mengatakan, langkah ini dilakukan bertujuan peningkatan ekspor. Selain itu, langkah ini diharapkan mampu mengurangi penggunaan angkutan logistik melalui jalur darat, yang menimbulkan kemacetan dan kerusakan infrastruktur jalan (jalur Denpasar-Gilimanuk).
"Dari data angkutan logistik jalur sepanjang Denpasar hingga Gilimanuk (Jembrana) cukup padat, sehingga infrastruktur jalan cepat rusak dan menimbulkan kemacetan lau lintas," tandas Putut Sri, yang dalam acara Penandatanganan Nota Kesepahaman Pemberian Insentif Jasa Kepelabuhan Produk Ekspor di Pelabuhan Benoa, Jumat kemarin, didampingi CEO Pelindo Bali-Nusra, Wayan Eka Saputra.
Putut Sri menambahkan, dengan berkurangnya kemacetan lalulintas, diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kenyamanan dan kepercayaan wisatawan yang berkunjung ke Bali. Dari segi pelayanan, kata Putut Sri, pengangkutan logistik dari jalur laut yang saat ini dilayani Kapal Maratus, juga akan ditingkatankan menjadi 3 kali dalam seminggu. "Selama 3 bulan ke depan, kami akan melakukan evaluasi terkait nota kesepahaman pelayanan jasa pengakutan produk ekspor tersebut," papar Putut Sri. *dar
The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that a source said he saw one of the photos on the phone of another official in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation of the crash.
The source told the newspaper that sharing the photos of the crash scene and the victim's remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash.
The sheriff's department, in a Facebook post, said it is conducting a thorough investigation of reports on the matter.
"The sheriff is deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act," the post said.
It said the investigation will look at the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures.
The helicopter crashed near Calabasas as it headed to a youth basketball game on a foggy morning on January 26.
The National Transportation Safety Board is trying to determine the cause and has collected evidence at the scene. The agency said it is investigating weather as a key factor and has asked for photos showing weather conditions at the time.
CNN's Sarah Moon reported and wrote in Los Angeles. CNN's Steve Almasy and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report.
Armond Budish, speaking at City Club debate, (10/30/18).
The public must never forget or let local elected leaders forget: The Q Deal was one of the ugliest and most dispiriting episodes in recent Cleveland history. With shocking clarity over multiple months, it demonstrated the lengths to which elected leaders would go to crush the will of the electorate at the behest of their private masters. For the privilege of mortgaging their constituents' future, leaders ultimately sabotaged the most energizing grassroots coalition Cleveland had seen in decades.
The public was of course under zero obligation to pay a cent for upgrades at the Q, which owner Dan Gilbert had decided were urgently required to improve upon the arena's global ranking in events per year and to land yet more significant events, (aka, a future NBA all-star game). This was mere months after the NBA Championship and the RNC in 2016. County Executive Armond Budish, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and City Council President Kevin Kelley bent over so far backwards to ratify the outrageous handout, despite overwhelming public opposition, that the Browns and the Indians couldn't help but get the message: a precedent was being set. The floodgates were opening wider still.
Not only does the public do these teams the biggest favor of all by "owning" the facilities in which they play — a farce sold to the public as a benefit, but which actually just allows the teams to avoid paying property taxes on the buildings they inhabit, control, and vastly profit off of — the public is also responsible for all large capital expenditures and major repairs ($500,000+) at the facilities, per their lease agreements. These repairs and upgrades are paid for with Sin Tax dollars, though that well is virtually dry. In fact, the County borrowed $60 million in bonds as an advance on future Sin Tax revenue to pay for projects from 2015-2017. About $7 million per year now goes toward paying down principal and interest on those bonds alone.
The public is also still paying off cost overruns on the construction of the basketball arena from back in the early 90s (and will be until 2023). Long before that debt was paid off, leaders saw fit to encumber the public with a whole lot more debt. Various public revenue streams will be paying down Q Deal bonds from 2023 until 2034, downgrading the county's bond rating in the process in light of the vertiginous load. The repayment projections also included admissions tax revenue from Cavs' playoff games from 2017-2023, a shall we say dicey revenue stream.
There's no question that Armond Budish will go down in history as one of the worst politicians in the region's resplendent history of cowards, crooks and sycophants. And as he's dealt with calamities at the County Jail and non-stop personnel scandals, he has continued to celebrate the Q Deal as one of the few bright spots of his ghastly tenure. Cleveland.com editor Chris Quinn does as well. Budish's pride in the Q Deal is, by now, a very sad joke indeed.
But in 2018, as he was running for the term which would promptly reveal the terrifying scale of his ineptitude, Budish praised the Q Deal yet again, misrepresenting the financial arrangement to portray it as sound investment for the region. He even suggested that it was the kind of deal that the county [would] look to make with the Indians.
Well, the moment has come. With the Q Deal in the rearview, the county, alongside Gateway Development Corp., is now hunting for public subsidies to help pay for future renovations at Progressive Field, which the Indians can be counted upon to demand as part of negotiations when their lease expires in 2023. The Cavs got $70 million (what will amount to $160 million or more with interest payments) for a measly seven-year lease extension, the Indians might remember. We should get the same deal!
WKYC's Mark Naymik reported that Gateway's Board Chairman Ken Silliman approached JobsOhio for help — and was turned down — and had not ruled out the possibility of requesting an allocation from the state of Ohio's two-year capital budget.
It's still early. Who knows what elaborate levers our distinguished electeds and their advisers will attempt to pull in order to pay the Dolans their ransom. Equally unclear is what sorts of renovations will even be considered. The Indians have already used Sin Tax dollars for discretionary renovations — Scoreboard! Suites! — and have requested millions more to redo the stadium's seating and buy new food service equipment.
Additional money is already being set aside in a special reserve that was created as part of the Q Deal, but — as we can see from Silliman's recent efforts — leaders must know that the available supply won't be enough to sate the appetite of the Indians, who just saw the Cavs get bushels of free money and no doubt want a roughly equivalent slice of the pie.
This is the same sort of corporate welfare that Cleveland residents have witnessed, with increasing dismay and disgust, for decades. As the majority of Cleveland's adults can't read and the majority of the Cleveland's children live in poverty, watching millions of dollars being handed to sports owners for facilities used predominantly by suburban and exurban fans, with literally no questions asked, is disgraceful.
Most troubling of all, sports teams — which are corporations — are taking cues from their brethren, the likes of Amazon and Sherwin-Williams. They recognize that by dangling the possibility of a departure, they can squeeze public entities dry much more regularly (at least every time a lease is up for renewal!) and then get celebrated for staying put: what they almost always would have done anyway. This hostage dynamic is especially acute in Cleveland, where leaders have a ready supply of catchphrases and scare words about the Browns' departure in '95 that have successfully reduced the public to obedience and fear.
As an additional note of irony in the current situation, Indians co-owner and CEO Paul Dolan happens to be the board chairman of the United Way of Greater Cleveland, an organization making bold pronouncements about its laser-focused commitment to poverty. In an interview on WCPN Thursday, United Way's President and CEO Augie Napoli suggested, correctly, that advocating for policy solutions was more effective than writing a check when it came to making a dent in poverty.
One of the most straightforward policies for which he might consider lobbying against is the one where we use vast quantities of public money — which might otherwise have gone to infrastructure, public safety, health and human services or anything else that might elevate the quality of life for Cleveland's poor and vulnerable — to fund stadiums for billionaire owners.
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KALISPELL - We are learning more information about a vehicle that was found in the water early Friday morning in Kalispell.
Flathead County Sheriff's Office Corporal Harrison told MTN News that they received a report there was a vehicle in the water by Old Steel Bridge in Kalispell shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.
Crews were sent out to the vehicle in the water on foot in dry suits to see if anyone was in vehicle and discovered that the vehicle was empty.
Law enforcement then made contact with owners of the vehicle who reported that their Ford pickup truck had been stolen. The owners are currently working on a report with the Kalispell Police Department.
Flathead County Search and Rescue covered the shoreline to ensure there were no victims in the water.
Corporal Harrison says there's no evidence to support there are victims in the water, but to be safe Two Bear Air was called in to search the area.
(first report: 8:45 a.m. - Feb. 28, 2020)
Emergency crews are on the scene of a partially submerged vehicle that is in the water near the Old Steel Bridge.
Flathead County Sheriff's Office dive teams, along with search and rescue teams, are actively working at the scene, which is just south of the bridge.
There is no indication at this time that anyone is inside the vehicle.
Law enforcement is asking the public to avoid the area so that rescue personnel to access the scene.
We will have more information on this developing story as it becomes available.
FCSO Dive Rescue and Search and Rescue teams are actively working on a partially submerged vehicle south of Old Street Bridge. Currently no indication anyone is inside the vehicle. Please avoid the area to allow for rescue personnel to access the scene.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies are accused of sharing graphic photos from the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others, reported LA Times.
The LA Times reported that after they submitted multiple inquiries to the Sheriff's department, they responded with "the matter is being looked into."
It is unclear who the photos have reached, and who exactly was involved. They also said it's unclear whether the deputies took the photos at the scene, of received them from someone else.
A source told the LA Times that he saw another official who had one of the photos on their phone, and they were all in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation of the crash. LA Times reported that the source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter.
Law enforcement agencies have struggled over the years with the unauthorized use of evidence involving celebrities, and this case was no different according to LA Times.
Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash into a Calabasas hillside in California last month.
Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit the same day as Kobe Bryant's memorial at Staples Center, Monday.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 30: Scenic designer Ron Gasparinetti, left, places head phones on actor Tom Gough’s head, right, before a show at City Lights Theater in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Randy Vazquez / Bay Area News Group)
Actor Tom Gough and San Jose’s City Lights Theater Company faced a frightening new normal at the beginning of the year, when the new “gig” work law, AB-5, went into effect.
For the company’s production of “Stage Kiss,” Gough and other cast and crew members were originally set to earn stipends as independent contractors, the same way many who work temporary jobs for smaller, nonprofits arts companies have long been compensated.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 30: Scenic designer Ron Gasparinetti, right, and actor Tom Gough, center, talk before a show at City Lights Theater in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Randy Vazquez / Bay Area News Group)
But AB-5 dictated that such freelance arrangements could no longer work for City Lights — or for many other nonprofit theater, dance or music groups in California. Under AB-5, “Stage Kiss” actors and crew members either had to either be hired as hourly employees, which City Lights couldn’t afford, or do the show as volunteers.
“To be frank, having to switch everyone who participates in our shows to employee, we’d close for sure,” said City Lights artistic director Lisa Mallette. The company says complying with AB-5 would hike City Lights’ annual costs for cast and crew members from $50,000 to $500,000.
City Lights is experiencing firsthand how AB-5 has begun to upend the way nonprofit arts groups do business in California as part of the state’s $273.5 billion creative economy. Many fear that the law will force smaller arts companies to cut back on performances or disappear altogether. This would not only mean fewer performances for dance, music and theater lovers to savor but a diminished training ground for young emerging artists.
AB-5 codified a 2018 California Supreme Court ruling, which was designed to ensure that California’s millions of independent contractors can enjoy the benefits of minimum wage laws, workman’s compensation, unemployment insurance and social security. In addition to actors, dancers and musicians, the law also affects Lyft and Uber drivers, truckers, language interpreters, unlicensed nail technicians and freelance journalists.
Gough, Mallette and others support the intention of AB-5. They care that artists receive fair pay and benefits. But they despair at the way the law was rolled out with no grace period, that it extends to certain types of jobs that don’t fit into an hourly-wage paradigm and that the bill’s language is ambiguous. For example, it doesn’t define what it means to be a “fine artist,” a category that has received one of the law’s exemptions.
Above all, they question whether legislators thought through all its ramifications.
“The scorched earth way it’s been implemented doesn’t take into account all the different kinds of people affected,” said Gough. “As an independent artist, it’s worrisome. It’s going to diminish opportunities for us as artists, and it’s going to lead to a cultural death valley.”
In the end, City Lights made some contractors employees and found a workaround for Gough and others that may be adopted by other arts groups. The theater company is treating them as volunteers who receive a per diem allowance for meals.
“We’re not against AB-5,” said Julie Baker, executive director of Californians for the Arts, an advocacy group in Sacramento. “But the question is how does it work in a huge and complex arts ecosystem. You just can’t map out all the hiring scenarios we find ourselves in.”
For example, do singers or actors, performing one night at a gala or for a staged reading, need to be made employees? “That is mind-boggling to think you would have a one-night employee,” said Debbie Chinn, president of Theatre Bay Area and executive director of San Francisco-based Opera Parallèle, which endured a 30-percent increase in AB-5-related costs for its May production of “Harvey Milk.”
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 30: Scenic designer Ron Gasparinetti, left, and actor Tom Gough, right, talk to each other before a show at City Lights Theater in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Randy Vazquez / Bay Area News Group)
The bill’s author, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, (D-San Diego), said she understands artists’ concerns and is working on a new bill, AB-1850, to clarify how different industries should implement the law. But Gonzalez remains committed to the idea that independent contractors, including artists, deserve fair compensation and benefits.
“We don’t want to keep giving into the idea of the starving artist,” she said. With Assemblywoman Christy Smith (D-Santa Clarita), Gonzalez has asked for $20 million be allocated in the 2020-21 budget to help “small-budget” nonprofit arts groups comply with AB-5.
Actors Equity is among the unions that support AB-5; its members already receive the protections it outlines. “Theater is dangerous,” said Brandon Lorenz, the union’s national director of Communications and Public Policy. “Dancers were recently named the most physically demanding job in the nation. That’s one reason why everyone who works in theater should have access to protections like workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance.”
AB-5 affects all arts groups but poses a bigger challenge to smaller companies that rely on non-union performers and production crew members because that’s all they can afford. Alameda-based Island City Opera found it couldn’t afford to comply with AB-5 and postponed its March production, a decision that sent reverberations throughout the Bay Area arts world.
“We are working to the best of our ability to be in AB-5 compliance for our upcoming August show ‘Scalia/Ginsburg’ at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek,” said Sylvia Amorino, executive director at Concord-based Solo Opera. She and her board had to quickly find $10,000 to institute payroll and to cover insurance, workman’s comp, attorney’s fees and other costs. “This is a hardship for a small nonprofit like ours to come up with quickly and with no grace period,” she said.
Meanwhile, freelance artists have taken to social media to describe losing work from employers who they say can longer afford to hire them, even for short-time gigs. Some wonder whether they can afford to stay in the Bay Area.
“It’s already so difficult for freelance artists to make a living in the Bay Area,” said Susie Medak, managing director of Berkeley Repertory Theater, which hires both Equity members and non-union artists for its shows. “If that means they can’t work as much, they may ask, ‘why stay in California,’ when you can move to a much less expensive community where these restrictions don’t exist.”
Medak also worries that the Bay Area’s long-thriving arts community could be hollowed out if companies cancel shows, curtail seasons or avoid new and experimental works.
“Many of us feel that this will result in creative drain in the Bay Area and in California,” Medak said.
Californians for the Arts’ Baker said the proposed, one-time funding would be “a tremendous help.” Still, it would take months for the legislature to approve the funding and for a grants program to be implemented. She said arts groups are hurting right now, which is why emergency funding needs to be made available.
“We receive daily reports of organizations reducing programming or closing their doors altogether as they do not have the funds available to be in compliance with AB-5,” Baker said.
Amid the AB-5 fallout, advocates hope that more groups won’t have to postpone or cancel more productions — situations that can erode confidence within a company and among donors and season-ticket buyers. “It’s really hard to ramp back and do a show after you’ve canceled,” Theatre Bay Area’s Chinn said.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shared graphic images of victims' remains and the scene of a helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others, according to a report published Thursday.
A sheriff's department official told the Los Angeles Times the "matter is being looked into." Deputy Erin Liu of the Sheriff's Information Bureau told City News Service the department would not comment on the report Thursday evening.
It's unclear how many people saw or received the photos without authorization or whether the deputies had taken the photos at the scene or received them from someone else, according to The Times, who spoke with two public safety sources with knowledge of the events.
The sharing of photos of the crash scene and the victims' remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash, a public safety source with knowledge of the events told The Times. The source said he saw one of the photos in a setting separate from the crash's investigation.
The sheriff's department and other Los Angeles-area law enforcement agencies have struggled with keeping confidential information in high-profile cases from being shared in the past.
• 1851 Club: Nia Courtland, Beyonshade Starr and Shelly Von Miller on Friday. Tara St. Stone, Addison Foster and Chanel St. John on Saturday. • Alexandre’s: Vero Voz y Compania on Friday. Filter on Saturday. Karaoke with Wayne Smith on Sunday. K-Marie sings Broadway on Tuesday. Vero Voz on Wednesday. Chris Chism on Thursday. • Club Reflection: Karaoke hosted with a spin by Tucker at 9 p.m. on Sunday. • Dallas Eagle: Route 66 Bootblack Fundraiser from 6-10 p.m. on Saturday. Dallas Diablos Cook Out from 5-9 p.m. on Sunday. • Hidden Door: T-Bear Club Night at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Cher-e-oke at 7 p.m. on Thursday. • JR.’s Bar & Grill: Cassie’s Freak Show at 11 p.m. on Monday. Double Trouble at 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Dream Girls at 11 p.m. on Thursday. • Magnum: Masquerade Ball benefiting Dallas Hope Charities from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. on Friday. • Marty’s Live: Vogue Night with cash categories at 11 p.m. on Wednesday. • Pekers: Sign up for Totally Twisted Karaoke by 10:30 p.m. and be eligible for cash prizes on Friday and Saturday. • Round-Up Saloon: 2020 Round-Up Diesel E Annual Chili Cook-Off from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday. Seventh annual Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic: The Stolimpics from 8-11 p.m. on Wednesday. • Sue Ellen’s: DJ Sno White on Friday. • The Rose Room: Rajah O’Hara on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. • Urban Cowboy: RuPaul Drag Race season 12 watch party at 7 p.m. on Friday. • Woody’s Sports & Video Bar: Relive the 90s on Monday. Showtunes Tuesday.
INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - Manajemen PT Pelabuhan Indonesia IV (Persero) Cabang Makassar melakukan uji coba penertiban parkir kendaraan roda empat dan roda dua di area Pelabuhan Makassar selama satu minggu, mulai Kamis (27/2/2020).
General Manager (GM) PT Pelindo IV Cabang Makassar, Aris Tunru menuturkan bahwa penertiban yang dilakukan pihaknya masih dalam tahap sosialisasi. “Kami masih sosialisasi dan [sosialisasi] ini akan berlangsung selama satu minggu. Setelah itu kami akan melangkah ke tahap berikutnya lagi,” kata Aris.
Selama penertiban dan seterusnya, lanjut dia, pihaknya tidak akan mengizinkan ada kendaraan yang parkir di sebelah kiri dan kanan badan jalan di area Pelabuhan Makassar. Semua kendaraan roda empat dan roda dua yang biasa parkir di badan jalan akan dialihkan ke Container Yard (CY) atau lapangan penumpukan yang berada di sebelah Kantor Kesyahbandaran Utama Makassar dengan memanfaatkan lahan yang ada seluas kurang lebih 5.000 meter persegi dari total lahan yang tersedia seluas 10.000 meter persegi.
"Nanti akan dipisah antara parkiran mobil dan motor, tapi tetap di lahan yang sama. Jadi semua kendaraan roda empat dan dua, baik milik pegawai di instansi yang ada di Pelabuhan Makassar maupun kendaraan milik tamu atau pengunjung, parkirnya di CY samping Kantor Syahbandar." ungkap Aris.
“Penertiban ini merupakan hasil kesepakatan bersama dengan semua instansi yang ada di Pelabuhan Makassar, di antaranya Pelindo IV, Otoritas Pelabuhan, Syahbandar dan pihak Polsek Pelabuhan Makassar, setelah dilakukan rapat dan diskusi bersama-sama pada Rabu (26 Februari 2020) di Ruang Rapat Kantor Pelindo IV Cabang Makassar,” terangnya.
Menurut Aris, selama uji coba seminggu, pihaknya akan memantau apakah hal tersebut efektif atau tidak dan supaya tidak terjadi lagi kemacetan di depan Car Terminal pada saat embarkasi (pemberangkatan dengan kapal laut) dan debarkasi (penurunan penumpang kapal laut).
“Kita uji coba [penertiban] ini selama satu minggu dan kalau ternyata efektif, kita akan melangkah ke penertiban yang lainnya lagi, yaitu cek in penumpang kapal yang selama ini dilakukan di lantai 2, akan kita uji coba di lantai 1 tepatnya di bawah lokasi pedagang asongan atau depan car terminal,” lanjutnya.
Jika perubahan lokasi cek in juga ternyata efektif lanjut dia, pihaknya juga akan melakukan penertiban di area dermaga dan Terminal Penumpang Pelabuhan Makassar. “Di area International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) ini nantinya tidak boleh lagi ada kendaraan maupun seseorang yang tidak menggunakan ID Card, atau orang-orang yang tidak berkepentingan berlalu lalang di area ISPS Code tersebut,” jelasnya.
Saat uji coba di area ISPS Code nanti, siapapun petugas dari instansi terkait di Pelabuhan Makassar yang tidak menggunakan ID Card, tetap tidak akan diizinkan untuk berlalu lalang atau berada di area ISPS Code. “Untuk ID Card-nya, nanti akan dibuatkan oleh Pelindo IV,” ucapnya.
“Tidak boleh lagi ada kendaraan roda empat maupun roda dua yang parkir di depan seluruh kantor instansi di Pelabuhan Makassar,” tegasnya.
Intinya tambah Aris, uji coba semua penertiban itu akan dilakukan selama satu minggu. Setelah satu minggu baru akan diberlakukan secara efektif.
Semua penataan dan penertiban yang dilakukan kata dia, bertujuan untuk melancarkan arus bongkar muat kendaraan yang melewati ruas jalan yang ada di area Pelabuhan Makassar karena jika banyak kendaraan yang parkir di sebelah kiri dan kanan badan jalan, sangat mengganggu operasional kelancaran kendaraan yang keluar masuk, khususnya untuk truk-truk yang melakukan aktivitas bongkar muat.
“Diharapkan, dengan penataan dan penertiban yang dilakukan mulai Kamis (27 Februari 2020) ini, mudah-mudahan semua instansi terkait di Pelabuhan Makassar dan pengunjung baik debarkasi maupun embarkasi maupun pengantar dan penjemput, bisa tertib sesuai dengan rambu-rambu yang sudah disepakati,” tukasnya.
Keberadaan virus corona atau COVID-19 yang tengah merebak dan menjadi perhatian masyarakat dunia saat ini harus terus diwaspadai oleh berbagai negara di dunia, termasuk Indonesia. Sosialisasi dan antisipasi penyebaran perlu dilakukan.
Menilik hal ini, Kementerian Perhubungan melalui Balai Kesehatan Kerja Pelayaran (BKKP) melakukan aksi peduli pencegahan virus corona dengan menggelar roadshow di tiga pelabuhan wilayah Jakarta Utara.
"Kegiatan ini sekaligus sebagai bukti nyata bahwa Ditjen Perhubungan Laut khususnya BKKP sangat peduli terhadap pencegahan virus corona di mana pelabuhan menjadi salah satu jalur masuk manusia dan barang ke suatu negara," ujar Kepala BKKP Hesti Ekawati dalam keterangan tertulis, Jumat (28/2/2020).
Hesti menjelaskan sosialisasi tersebut dilakukan dengan memberikan edukasi gerakan cuci tangan yang benar, pemakaian masker yang tepat serta etika ketika batuk kepada para awak kapal, penumpang kapal, PKBM dan pegawai yang bertugas di lapangan.
Pihaknya berharap masyarakat dapat lebih menyadari akan pentingnya pola hidup bersih dan sehat untuk mencegah penyakit masuk ke tubuh, termasuk terhadap infeksi Virus Corona yang mematikan.
Diketahui hal itu dilakukan sebagai upaya tindak lanjut atas Surat Edaran Direktur Jenderal Perhubungan Laut nomor SE. 5 Tahun 2020 tentang Antisipasi Penyebaran Virus Corona di Wilayah Pelabuhan, BKKP bersama dengan Kantor Otoritas Pelabuhan Utama Tanjung Priok, Kantor Kesyahbandaran dan Otoritas Pelabuhan (KSOP) Kelas III Sunda Kelapa serta Kantor KSOP Kelas IV Marunda.
Sebelumnya, Kemenhub juga menggelar sosialisasi serupa kepada pegawai Kantor Unit Pelaksana Teknis (UPT) Ditjen Perhubungan Laut di Kantor Pangkalan Penjagaan Laut an Pantai (PLP) Tanjung Priok dan Peserta Diklat di Seaman Jaya Cirebon.
Simak Video "Corona di Korea Selatan: 2.022 Terinfeksi, 13 Tewas"
HOUSTON – Chris Fisher is recovering after someone followed him from a bank last Tuesday.
The thieves broke into his truck, then ran over him when he tried to stop him, Fisher said. He said he was dropping off paperwork at an accounting office for his job.
He said he went inside the office but then noticed something fishy outside.
“I kind of caught out of the corner of my eye out that somebody was standing next to my truck,” Fisher said.
In a surveillance video, Fisher is seen parking and walking inside a building. Next, a black, four-door Hyundai pulls in next to Fisher’s truck. A suspect jumps out, breaks Fisher’s window and steals money Fisher had just withdrawn from a nearby Bank of America, the video shows.
That is when Fisher runs out and tries to scare off the thieves.
“At that point, I was just trying to get out of the way, which obviously, as you can see, I wasn’t very successful,” Fisher said.
The thieves ran over Fisher and kept going, the video shows.
The collision left Fisher with a broken bone and torn ACL.
“It was a compound fracture with the bone sticking out,” Fisher said. “Both bones in my lower leg shattered. They’ve had to go in and put titanium rods in and screws and all sorts of fun stuff.”
Fisher said he wants the suspect caught and placed in jail.
“He could’ve taken someone’s husband, a father, son and didn’t seem to really care whether he did or not,” he said. “We always think we have forever, but you never know. So, if you see this guy let’s get him off the streets, so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Crimestoppers is offering up to $5,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest in this case.
Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others, according to two public safety sources with knowledge of the events.
After multiple inquiries by The Times, the Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that the “matter is being looked into.”
It’s unclear how widely the photos might have been disseminated and who exactly was involved. It’s also unclear whether the deputies had actually taken the photos at the scene or had received them from someone else.
One of the sources told The Times that the sharing of photos of the crash scene and the victims’ remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash. The source said he saw one of the photos on the phone of another official, in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation of the crash. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter.
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Capt. Jorge Valdez, the head of the sheriff’s information bureau, said Wednesday that his office had been obligated to contact the family members of crash victims not because of allegations against the deputies but because The Times inquired about them.
Joseph Giacalone, who teaches police procedures at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said that generally, sharing photos with anyone not authorized to see them “is a cardinal sin in law enforcement.”
Law enforcement agencies, particularly in Los Angeles, have struggled over the years with the unauthorized use of evidence involving celebrities.
The Sheriff’s Department launched a lengthy investigation into the leaking of documents after Mel Gibson’s infamous anti-Semitic rant during a drunk driving arrest. The issue was also highlighted when it was revealed that celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano paid members of law enforcement agencies for confidential information.
In a brief interview Wednesday at the Hall of Justice downtown, Sheriff Alex Villanueva would not discuss the allegations in the Bryant case in any detail, including whether the department had received a complaint that the photos were shared inappropriately.
Valdez said he was “unaware of any complaint.”
Bryant’s helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside last month in dense fog, killing the retired NBA star, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others on their way to a youth basketball game in Thousand Oaks. The other victims were Christina Mauser; Payton and Sarah Chester; John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; and pilot Ara Zobayan.
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